Award: Second Prize

Time: August, 2005
Place: Changyucheng Village, Laoyugou Township, Changping District, Beijing, China
Nationality: Han

The Great Wall lies four kilometers north of a small village – Changyu Village in Laoyugou Township of Changping, Beijing. As an affiliated project of the Great Wall, Changyu Town used to be supply and basis for troops during the Ming Dynasty.

There exists a village troupe as old as the remote village with 160 households. Bordered with Hebei Prov., the troupe performs old tone Hebei bangzi operas mostly on wars and the Yang Family dramas, well known in the Song Dynasty. Performers are all villagers aged between 37 and 74, without formal trainings.

Today, the troupe is worried about lack of successors. As young people are not interested in it, no one is willing to learn performing the opera. With limited income, it is difficult to balance the costumes and props that were used by state-owned troupes and then bought back.

Though facing many troubles, with the financial help of the village committee every year, the troupe maintains up to now.